Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Lynn and I notices that The Crushed Olive's latest store is set to move into Sayville, NY's Main Street. We had visited the one in Huntington but that particular store is too far away from us to visit on a regular basis. Sayville is a different matter, however, so we are excited about indulging our interest in olive oils and vinegars in the near future...

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The new decade has seen the rise of the "cocktail nerd "resulting in a newfound appreciation of the history and elements of the cocktail. Writers such as David Wondrich have helped enlighten drink afficianados about the history, lore, and mythology oc cocktail culture in works such as Punch, and Imbibe. Most recently, author Brad Thomas Parsons has helped provide cocktail fans with some history, recipes and lore relating to the traditions associated with one of the key (but often overlooked) elements of a bespoke cocktail; the bitters.

Bitters is a charming, fast paced work which breathes life into a fairly obscure subject. Mr. Parsons explores some of the mystique of brands like the omnipresent, venerable Angostura brand as well as some of the more esoteric makes of bitter like Urban Moonshine and Snake Oil Bitters. Again, this stuff is like gold to the cocktail geek and we have found that this is a great manual to have at hand to try different drink recipes and to find new ways to give our cocktails a twist...

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Lynn and I discovered Jack's Stir Brew Coffee place on the far east end of Long Island in Amagansett; Jack's Coffee makes the best Cafe Au Lait I have ever had and I made a special trip there recently (today actually) to get a cup of this divine stuff (after a particularly punishing exercise class). The interior of the place is as artful as the coffee as it is decorated with great oversized b&W photos which are evocative of maritime activities.

About Me

I (Mark) have written for The Christian Science Monitor, Clear Magazine, Picture Magazine, Film Score Monthly, Dan's Papers, Rue Morgue, In Flight USA and a lot more publications that I can't remember....
My wife Lynn was a model with the Ford Agency and her photography has been featured in most of the publications I have written for...